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Pennsylvania Dutch (1720-1830)
Pennsylvania Dutch is a simple, utilitarian American country style of furniture with Germanic influences. It is characterized by colorful folk painting on case furniture.Â
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Appearance
| Simple – Straight lines, simple design, and little ornamentation.(Contemporary style shown) |
Chair Arms
| Simple turning or flat – Arms are straight with a simple turning or are flat. | |
| Straight – Arms are straight and perpendicular to the chair. |
Chair Back Material
| Wood – Solid wood, horizontal slats, vertical slats, or vertical splats. |
Chair Back Shape
| Ladderback or Slatback – Equally spaced horizontal flat slats, either straight or curved. | |
| Solid – One piece or solid panel chair back. |
Chair Leg
| Cabriole – Curved leg in the shape of an animal’s leg. The cabriole leg increased the stability of seating pieces and reduced the need for underbracing. | |
| Round – Round, usually shaped or turned leg. | |
| Simple turning – turned leg with a few types of turnings. | |
| Square – Flat surfaced leg on all sides. | |
| Straight – Straight leg, vertical to chair seat. | |
| Tapered – Straight leg gradually decreasing in width. |
Chair Seat Material
| Leather – Animal hide. | |
| Rush – Woven rush. | |
| Upholstered – Cushioned and covered with fabric. | |
| Wood – Various types of wood. |
Chair Seat Shape
| Square – Square shaped seat. |
Drawer Pull
| Loop Handle – Bail handle without a back plate, 3.5 to 4.5 inches wide. | |
| Turned Wooden Knob – Elongated, turned wooden knob, often 3 inches long and 1.25 inches in diameter. | |
| Wooden Mushroom-Shaped Knob – Mushroom-shaped wooden knob, often 1 inch high and 1.5 to 2.5 inches in diameter. |
Fabric
| Leather – Material made from the tanning of animal hides. |
Finish
| Paint – Opaque, pigmented finish that obscures the grain of the wood. | |
| Wax – Paste finish over a sealer, stain, or bare wood. |
Foot
| Ball – Rounded ball-shaped foot. | |
| Bun – Rounded foot, flatter than a ball foot. | |
| Continuation of leg – Leg does not terminate into a foot. | |
| Pad – Simple, rounded carved foot. |
Hardware Material
| Iron – Grayish-brown metal with a dull finish. | |
| Wood – Various types of wood, carved or turned. |
Joint
| Dovetail – An interlocking wood joint in which a series of wedge-shaped projections fits into a series of alternating grooves. | |
| Mortise and tenon – Wood joint in which a projecting tenon of one board is fitted into a mortise or hole of another board. |
Line
| Cyma or S-Curve – S-shaped curve, partly concave and partly convex. | |
| Straight – Straight lines. |
Motif
| Floral – Flowers, such as roses, sunflowers, and tulips. | |
| Sunflower – Daisy-like flower. | |
| Tulip – Cup-shaped flower. |
Ornamentation
| Carving – Cutting or chipping the surface of wood to create a shape or design. | |
| Paneling – Raised, recessed, and framed panels. | |
| Spindle – Turned pieces, split vertically often affixed to the front of case furniture. | |
| Stenciling – Painting through a template to create a shape or design on the underlying wood surface. |
Proportion
| Medium – Moderate dimensions.(Queen Anne style shown) |
Underbracing
| Moderate – Moderately proportioned stretchers.(William and Mary style shown) |
Wood
| Black Walnut – Dark brown American hardwood with a wide range of figures. | |
| Oak – Gray-brown American hardwood. | |
| Pine – Yellow to pink-brown American softwood. | |
| Tulipwood – Pink-yellow hardwood with red striping used in inlays; also known as pinkwood. |


